Learning to Tango
by footsteps in the snow
Summary: Joanne walks in to Miss Porter's, and everthing changes. From crazy roommates, to hot french girls, to the craziest love triangle, the drama never stops. VERY AU. Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Chapter One**

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Joanne walked through the large arch towering above. So this was Miss Porter's. It was as grandiose as she expected, complete with Victorian style architecture and a large fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The timid girl saw several girls lying in the middle of the courtyard, listening to a CD player booming with music. None seemed to care that their green, blue, and white plaid uniforms were getting soiled by the previous evening's rain. Joanne smiled up the sky. She was sure she would like it here.

"Well tell them we don't take no for an answer. Tell them we'll fire them if they don't comply—yes, yes I know they're the best in the field but we all have to make sacrifices occasionally. We need to close this case soon, Jeff. I'll be in the office soon." Mrs. Jefferson flipped her cell closed.

"Kitten, there's been a slight change in plans. I realize I promised you I would stay here most of the day to help you settle in, but I am needed down at the office. Will you be okay by yourself? Tom is here and waiting for you."

Joanne sighed. This always happened. Her mother didn't know what a promise was. Work was always her first priority, even above her own family. That was why Joanne was being sent to Miss Porter's. Mrs. Jefferson didn't have time to deal with her anymore. "I'll be fine, Mom," Joanne said, grabbing the suitcase her mother was pulling. "I can find my way to Coll—I mean Tom's office in no time."

Her mother beamed and kissed her cheek, then scurried away as her cell phone rang again. Joanne looked at her map and then back at the building she was in front of. She took a deep breath and stepped into the unknown.

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Collins sat as his desk, feet propped, laughing at what whoever he was on the phone with had just said. "Well did you at least get away with it?" he asked into the receiver. He groaned before breaking into laughter again. "When will you learn, boy? My main motto, never get caught—"

_Knock knock._

A small head popped in from behind the doorframe. Collins smiled and gestured Joanne in. He then spoke into the phone, "Hey, I got to go. Have fun in detention." Hanging up, he jumped over his desk and embraced his little sister. "Jo! It's been a long while. Great to see you."

"It's great to see you too," Joanne replied, sitting in the seat Collins offered. The two were technically half-siblings. Joanne and Collins shared the same mother, but different fathers. "How did you end up as the Dean here? When Mom told me, I about choked."

Collins chuckled. "My dad was the Dean here when I was growing up. I love this school. When he retired, I was still without any job except to wreak havoc on NYC, so I took over for him. It's not the hardest job. Just breaking up cat fights and making sure everyone gets where they are going. And the girls here love me, believe it or not."

Joanne smiled. "I'm sure they do. If I remember right, your dad was a stickler for the rules. Nothing like you, correct?"

"Correct, indeed," Collins answered. "But I hate to see Mom just ship you off here. No worries, you'll be safe here with your big bro in charge—" Joanne snorted "—Hey! I know what I'm doing. Now, on to your room assignment. I know your roommate well. She has spent many hours here in my office for…discipline. We've become pretty close. I think the two of you will hit it off."

"Discipline? What kind of discipline? And for what?" Joanne fretted.

Collins chuckled. "Yes, you two will get along very well. This is going to be an interesting year at Miss Porter's. You have your map. Your room is 14B in Kale Hall." Before Joanne could protest further, Collins shooed her from his office. Only seconds later, however, there was another knock at his door. A small Latina quietly slid in to his office.

"Mimi!" Collins exclaimed. Mimi was a friend of Joanne's roommate who Collins had gotten to know very well last year. "How was your summer break?"

"It was great, Professor," she stuttered. She seemed very nervous, unlike her usual self.

"What's wrong?" Collins asked, genuinely concerned.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied. "At least not with me…you see, I have this friend and I was hoping you could find a place for her to stay for the duration of this year…"

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**A/N: So this is very AU. I was watching the Tango: Maureen and the idea came to me for a fanfic to be set at Miss Porter's. Don't worry, all the Boho's will eventually be in this, though some obviously play bigger parts than others. It will most likely switch between the point-of-view of Joanne and Collins, but the story is Joanne-centric.**

**Reviews are love!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. **

**Chapter Two**

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"_What's wrong?" Collins asked, genuinely concerned._

"_Nothing's wrong," she replied. "At least not with me…you see, I have this friend and I was hoping you could find a place for her to stay for the duration of this year…"_

Collins sighed. He hated having to be the bad guy. "Mimi, I'm sorry, but unless your friend is enrolled here I can't allow her to stay. There are rules, and if I could I would bend them, but for this it's not a possibility. We don't even have your friend's transcripts—"

"Her transcripts would be easy to obtain! This isn't your normal student, Collins. Can you at least meet her before make your decision?" Mimi was bouncing on the balls of her feet, desperately pleading with her eyes.

Collins shook his head in defeat. "Only for you, Meems. Bring her in." Mimi was already running to the door before he finished his sentence. He could hear her speaking in fast Spanish to whoever was behind the door. She then yanked the wrist of the mysterious guest, with a loud grunt of stubbornness, and pulled the other girl inside.

Collins nearly fell out of his chair when he saw her. She was a Latina, same skin shade as Mimi, with a dark bob as opposed to Mimi's wild locks. She was wearing a short white skirt with red tights underneath and a red tank top with a cropped navy hoodie. She was the most attractive woman Collins had ever laid eyes on. He shook his head. _Wait…I'm gay! And she's a teenager! I've got to quench this attraction before it starts._

"This is Angel," Mimi said, wrapping her arms around the shoulders of her friend. "She really needs to stay here. We can get her transcript and she can room with me…please, Collins. We need this. It's important to both of us."

"Uh huh…" Collins was still staring at the other girl. Mimi giggled. "Earth to Collins?"

"Sorry," Collins said, shaking his head again. "I understand this is important, but we have to turn down potential students everyday. I can't just pick and choose. What makes her so special?"

"Perhaps because I'm not biologically a 'she'." Angel finally found her voice. It was quiet, gentle, but Collins could feel the power it truly had.

"What do you mean?" Collins asked, but he had the feeling he already knew.

"On the outside, I'm a boy," Angel answered, taking off her wig. Collins stomach flipped. "But on the inside, I'm as much a girl as anyone here. I went to Mr. Stone's last year. You know, the boys' school across the street? Well, sometime toward the beginning of the second semester, I started wearing women's clothing. My closest friends were perfectly fine with it, but everyone else was…not so accepting.

"I don't want to give you a sob story of my life and childhood. But both Mimi and I think it would be easier, and safer, if I attended Miss Porter's this year. I can easily get my transcript if you can just find a place for me this year."

Collins grunted, thinking it over. He understood now why Mimi needed him…_her_…to be here this year. And he did have a homesick girl drop out last minute…

"Alright," Collins sighed, caving in. Both students squealed and jumped around a bit before composing themselves. Collins chuckled. "Fine, you can stay here this year, but only if you are responsible for getting everything I need to start a folder under your name. Now here's what I need…"

_So Angel is a boy. But she's still a teenager and a student at my school…oh, how am I going to resist?_

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"14B…14B…ah, here it is!"

Joanne had been searching each floor in Kale Hall to find her room. She could've asked any of the girls milling around, but she always preferred knowing she had accomplished something herself, even just finding a dorm room.

The timid girl cringed at the music blaring from inside the room. She cautiously knocked, unsure whether the sound would be heard by the girl inside. As soon as she pulled her hand away, however, the music silenced and Joanne heard a female voice sing, "Coming!"

The door burst wide open and a blur of dark curls immediately pulled Joanne into an embrace. Joanne tensed, unsure of how to react. Her roommate huffed.

"You could at least hug me back! If I'm going to be your roommate for the next year, I need to know how comfortable you are with other people." The bouncy girl finally stepped back, giving Joanne a good look at her. She was only slightly shorter than Joanne with long curly brown hair and big expressive green eyes. She fidgeted, unable to stand still for very long, and bounced lightly to a beat in her head while giving Joanne the same once-over that Joanne was giving her.

"I'm Maureen. And I'm guessing you're Joanne, my new roommate? You're hot. We'll get along great."

Joanne remained silent, taken aback by the sudden compliment wedged into the introduction. No one had ever thought her to be pretty. She finally stepped into her dorm for the year. One side was completely blank, obviously waiting for Joanne. The other side was already a mess of individuality. Band and movie posters lined Maureen's part of the room. Her bulletin board was covered in pictures and post-its, with a calendar peaking out from among the chaos. As soon as Joanne sat down on her bed, Maureen began to play the loud music once again. Joanne sighed, flopping backward. Collins was right. This going to be an interesting year…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Must I write these every time? I think you get the picture…**

**A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed!! Every review I get makes me want to write more of it. I'm glad you love reading "Learning to Tango" as much as I love writing it!**

**Chapter Three**

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"Maureen, would you please get off my bed?"

It had only been a week at Miss Porter's, and already Joanne was ready to kill her new roommate. She quickly learned that Maureen didn't understand the concept of homework, saying that it "quenched her artistic abilities". She also learned that Maureen's brain couldn't wrap around the idea of privacy and personal space. The brunette was always on Joanne's bed, or in her desk, or messing with her laptop…

Maureen sighed, slamming the book Joanne was working in closed. Joanne grunted indignantly and made a grab for the book, but the drama queen pulled it out of her grasp. "I'm bored, Jo! You're my roommate. It's your job to entertain me."

Joanne snorted. "Yea right. Why don't you do homework or something? Just like I was trying to do…"

Maureen groaned, rolling over to face Joanne. "Homework is soooo boring. You're boring. Come on, it's nearly the weekend. Surely there's something else we could be doing."

"Why don't you hang out with someone else other than me?" Joanne suggested. "I'm not your only friend."

"That's it!" Maureen exclaimed and jumped off the bed, nearly knocking Joanne off with the effort. "I'll be right back!" With that, the bouncy brunette left the room. Joanne sighed in relief. "Finally, a little peace and quiet…"

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"JOANNE!"

"AAGH!" Joanne yelped as the door burst open, revealing her roommate along with several of the girls on their wing. She had nearly been asleep when he name was yelled. "Maureen, I thought you going to hang out with other people for tonight."

"I was," Maureen replied, "but I decided to share the party with you. Sleepover!" The girls behind her squealed with delight. Joanne recognized a few of the faces from some of her classes. Among the faces were Mimi and Angel, who were in her grade and most of her classes. There was also a very pretty girl who Joanne had never seen before. The girl had dark red hair with a tint of brown pulled back into a messy bun. She had piercing blue eyes that never seemed to stop moving around, taking in everything. She was wearing navy gym shorts and a pink camisole, like most of the girls pouring into the room around her. Joanne had never seen such a strikingly gorgeous girl.

Maureen clapped her hands. "Alright everyone, introductions first!" The girls quickly formed a circle on the ground with pillows scattered among them. Maureen pulled Joanne off the bed and down next to her, almost in her lap. Maureen giggled and pushed her off, not batting an eye to the blush heating up the darker girl's face. The introductions began, starting with Maureen. Joanne recognized a few of the names, realizing that several of them were in her classes, but she had never noticed before. Finally the red-head spoke. "I am Marguerite," she said in a strong French accent.

"Wait," one of the girls, Jen, piped up. "Aren't you Marguerite Chevalier, the French Ambassador's daughter?" Marguerite shyly nodded, blushing lightly. The teenagers around her gasped, gawking at her. Even Joanne was amazed to meet someone so famous.

"Okay, okay!" Maureen yelled, tired of someone else being the center of attention. "Let's get right down to the good stuff. What about starting the night with a game of Truth or Dare?" All of the girls nodded in agreement. "Alright then, I'll start. Umm…Mimi, truth or dare?"

Mimi thought for a moment before replying, "Truth."

Maureen immediately returned with, "Which of the male professors here do you think is the hottest?" Everyone giggled. Looking directly at Angel, Mimi deadpanned, "Professor Collins."

Angel blushed, though everyone was still too caught up to notice. "Good choice!" Maureen agreed. "Though I bet Joanne disagrees, considering it's her brother…" Everyone gasped, immediately turning to Joanne for the truth. Joanne shied away from the attention, turning it back to Mimi. "He's not even really a professor. Does he count?"

"Duh!" Maureen giggled. "Okay, Mimi, your turn!"

Mimi turned to Angel. "Angel, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Angel returned without even thinking. Mimi knew Angel would say dare, like she always did, and didn't even have to think about what to make her do. "I dare you to walk into Collins's office, kiss him, and then leave without saying a word." The entire room went completely silent. No one expected the dares to get that heavy so quickly.

Angel glared coldly at her best friend. "I accept your challenge. Just let me grab my wig." With that, she left the room and returned to her own dorm.

"I'll go with her to make sure she follows through with the dare," Mimi said, standing up. "You guys keep playing. We'll be back." She then followed Angel out.

"Wow," Jen said. "Do you think maybe Mimi went too far?"

"Yes," Joanne unexpectedly replied, "but you don't know how much he'll enjoy it." Everyone laughed away the tension and returned to the game.

"Well, since the dares have already gotten so heavy, let's go ahead and turn the game up a notch," Maureen announced. "There is no more holding back. But while Angel is fulfilling her dare, who will ask the next?"

"I will," Marguerite said. "Joanne, truth or dare?"

"Truth," the timid girl immediately answered, not wanting the same fate as Angel. "Boring!" Maureen coughed, receiving a poke in the side from Joanne.

"If there was one thing you wanted to learn, but have never had the chance, what would it be?"

"Hmm…" The darker girl had never thought that way before. It was always what had already accomplished, or what she planned to accomplish in the near future, but never what she wished she knew. It took her a while to grasp this new idea enough to give a good answer.

"I wish…I wish I knew how to tango."

"I'll keep that in mind," Marguerite said, smiling warmly. Maureen glared, unsure of how she felt about this French girl giving her roommate so much attention.

"What happened to no holding back? Let's keep going…"

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Mimi found Angel back in their dorm room right across the hall, taking her time with her wig. Mimi sighed and grabbed Angel's shoulders. Angel immediately tensed. "This is for your own good, you know," Mimi said, gently rubbing Angel's shoulders. "I know you better than anyone else. Every time Collins comes into your line of sight, you stare dreamily at him, but as soon as you're caught you shy away. This is your night, Ang. Show him how you really feel."

"I can't, Mimi!" Angel exclaimed, turning to face her friend. "He's the dean! I shouldn't feel anything for him at all except respect. This is just a crush, something I'll get over soon. It's none of your business to push me into 'showing him how I feel'. I'll only make a fool out of myself."

"If you really think so, you can always back out…" Mimi answered, backing toward the door.

"No way!" Angel yelled, pushing past her. "I never back down from a dare." The drag queen opened the door and stomped out, Mimi following close behind.

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Collins yawned, stacking up a few more papers cluttering his desk. It had been a long day, and he couldn't wait to leave campus and head back to his apartment. First, however, he still had a few more tasks to complete. The anarchist had no idea when he first signed on for the job just how much work he had to do. It was more than just cat fights, that's for sure.

Just as he was packing to leave for the night, a soft knock came from outside of his door. "Come in!" he said, inwardly groaning. So much for leaving soon…

"Professor Collins…" There was that voice. It was the voice that had been haunting his dreams for the past week. He had promised himself not to feel attraction for the petite Latino, but had had given up on that promise just two days in. Angel had invaded his every thought, and made herself very comfortable in the center of Collins's mind. Now, as long he stayed professional with the student…

"Yes, Angel, what can I do for you?" He looked up just in time to see a blur of Hispanic teenager running at him. Angel jumped into his lap and kissed him with every bone in her body. After the initial shock wore off, he reciprocated, but it was too late. Angel was gone as soon as she had arrived, leaving no sign of her presence except for the buzz on Collins's lips. Collins was flabbergasted.

_What just happened??? And how do I make it happen again…_

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**Let me know what you think! Reviews are Love!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you thank you thank you for the reviews!!! Keep them coming!**

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Angel dashed out of Collins's office, heart pounding. Had she really just kissed him?? She would have thought she had dreamt it all except for the slight coffee tinge now on her lips. It was quick, as quick as Angel could make it, but the drag queen was sure that just for a moment the professor might have reciprocated…

Angel grabbed Mimi's hand, dragging her back to the dorm building along with her. Mimi had promised to wait outside to help her friend make a fast getaway. From the look on Angel's face, the Latina still couldn't pick up on whether the other had gone through with the dare or not.

Instead of heading directly back to Maureen and Joanne's dorm, the two first went back to their room to catch their breath. Angel gracelessly aimed for her bed, but missed and landed with thump on the floor. Mimi giggled and sat beside of her. "So…did you do it?" Angel nodded silently, grinning while still catching her breath. Mimi squealed. "Oh my gosh! You really went through with it? How did it go? Did he kiss you back? Did you tell him anything about the dare beforehand?"

Angel shook her head, finally standing up. "That's between me and the professor, now isn't it? Come on; let's head back to the sleepover." Mimi whined a little, grabbing Angel's hand, and the two headed back. The entire way back, Mimi begged for details, but Angel stayed tight-lipped.

When the two made it back, the game of Truth or Dare had already dispersed. Now the girls were gathered on the floor, watching "The Ring" on a small television set of Joanne's. As soon as the pair arrived back, the movie was paused and everyone stared expectantly back and forth between Mimi and Angel. Angel just smiled, walking over toward the bed and making herself comfortable on the floor beside of it. "I always fulfill a dare," she smirked, grabbing the remote and playing the movie once again. All of the girls gasped, giggling, and then turned back to the movie.

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By the time the movie was over, everyone was asleep except for Maureen. She was sharing a bed with Joanne, because the floor was completely covered with sleeping girls and her bed was all the way on the other side of the room, away from all the chaos. Joanne had tried earlier to get Maureen to go to her own bed but finally gave up, realizing it was no use. Now Maureen lay staring at ceiling, unable to sleep.

_Poke._ "Joanne?" _Poke poke._ "Joanne, are you awake? Can you hear me?" _Poke poke poke poke poke poke—_

"AAGH! DON'T EAT ME!" Joanne yelled, sitting straight up in bed. She blinked several times before realizing that she was awake, and then looked around to see who had woken her up. Maureen sniggered from her side of the bed, tears rolling down her face. "Who's eating you, Joanne?"

"None of your business…" Joanne grumbled, lying back down in bed. "Mo, it is 3 A.M. Go to bed."

"I can't sleep," Maureen replied, still laughing softly at Joanne's out burst. "I thought you might be awake too, but I guess you weren't." The darker girl mumbled unintelligibly. "What, Jo?"

"What do you expect me to do, sing you a lullaby?" Joanne repeated, turning away from Maureen. "I was actually sleeping, believe it or not."

"Well, now you're not," Maureen said, rolling a groaning Joanne back over. "What did you think of all of these girls? I've known most of them for a while, but a couple of them are new just like you."

"Yeah," Joanne yawned, "They all seem great I guess. The French girl seems especially sweet."

Maureen rolled her eyes in the dark. "She was totally hitting on you the entire night. No wonder you think she's so nice."

The other girl's eyes popped open. "No, she wasn't. She was just being friendly, like everyone else. Marguerite didn't treat me any differently than she treated you or any of the other girls here."

"Are you seriously that oblivious, Joanne?" Maureen inquired incredulously. "She's been all over you all night, with her cute remarks in her sexy French accent. 'I'll keep that in mind.' Ugh. She'll be keeping you in mind, that's for sure. Good thing you don't swing that way, or you'd really have to watch yourself."

Joanne chuckled nervously. "Yeah, of course."

"Jo?" Maureen looked into her roommate's eyes. "Which way do you swing? We've never really talked about it before."

The shy roommate hesitated. "You mean, what's my sexual orientation?" Joanne felt more than saw the drama queen nod. "I…I'm a lesbian, Maureen. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to freak you out, and get all weird about changing in front of me and stuff. I'm still just as normal as anyone else, probably more normal than you."

Maureen chuckled. "Right. I don't how I didn't see it. Now that I think about it, it's pretty obvious." She yawned. "I think I'm going to go to sleep. I'm glad we've had this talk though, roomy." She then turned and immediately went to sleep.

Joanne smiled as her eyes began to droop again. "Me too…"

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"Joanne!"

Then next day, after everyone had left, Joanne had decided to take a stroll around campus. Talking to Maureen last night about Marguerite had really gotten her mind spinning. She just needed a little time to herself to shake off all the extra stress she was feeling. As she walked past the front courtyard, her name was yelled from one of the buildings. Joanne turned just in time to see Collins running toward her at full speed.

"Hey bro, what's up?" she asked, linking arms with the headmaster.

"I've got some big problems," Collins replied, "And I've come to you to help me fix it. It's what you're best at."

"Ok…" Joanne answered, already unsure.

"Do you know who Angel Dumott Schunard is?"

Joanne immediately smiled, knowing exactly what this was about. "Let me guess. You're crushing on her, and right as you're getting over the student she kisses you, right?"

Collins gasped. "You _know_? How did you know? It just happened last night!"

"Well I could tell you liked her by the way you act around her. I'm your flesh and blood. Of course I noticed. And last night Mimi dared Angel to go into your office and kiss you. You see, we had this sleepover—"

"So it was all a dare?" Collins asked, face dropping. "I knew it was too good to be true…"

"Yes, the kiss was a dare," Joanne quickly replied, "But I think the feelings were true. I don't know for sure, but I think Mimi set Angel up, knowing she would never kiss you otherwise no matter how much attraction was there. I don't know what you expect me to do about it, but in my opinion you should go find Angel and give her what she wants."

"But what if it isn't what she wants?"

"Then the worst that will happen is that you will go back to being her teacher, and things will be a little awkward. Go for it, Collins. You've got nothing to lose."

"Right…" Collins answered, wandering away. "Now where to find Angel…"

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	5. Chapter 5

Angel sat under her favorite tree on campus, sketchbook in hand. She had only been here a week, and already knew it was better than the boys' school. She could be herself, and not have to worry about judgmental glances cast her way for being a boy in girls' clothing. Of course, this was no fantasy. There was the bigot, bitchy, cliquish girls who gossiped about her being at their school. But they didn't really matter. What mattered was that Angel had an entire group of friends she loved dearly. Her best friends here were Mimi (of course), Joanne, and Maureen. She had only just met the latter two, but was sure their friendship would last.

Angel sighed, and laid her head back against the tree, staring at her sketch. She had been into drawing women's fashion since she was very little. It was her favorite hobby, though Mimi was the only one she would let see. She was just too embarrassed that it might not be as good as Mimi insisted, so she never let anyone else near the sketchbook. Angel's eyes drifted closed, satisfied with the shirt-and-skirt ensemble she had drawn.

"Nice sketch."

Angel eyes popped open as she slammed her sketchbook shut. Looking up, she saw Collins standing above her grinning. "Professor Collins, what are you doing here?" The drag queen stammered, pulling her sketchbook into her bag.

"Just taking a stroll," he replied. He sat down beside of her. "Actually, that's a lie. I wasn't just taking a stroll. There are a million different things I could be doing right now, but instead I'm looking for you."

"And that would be because…" Angel insinuated.

"You know exactly why that would be!" Collins exclaimed. "You can't honestly say you kissed your professor and forgot all about it."

"It was a dare," Angel replied. "That's all. Mimi dared me to kiss you and I did it. I didn't mean to disrespect your authority in any way, sir."

Collins's shoulders visibly deflated. "That's it? It was just a dare? There was nothing more to it?"

"Why do you even care so much?" Angel defended, standing up. There was no way she was going to let on that she liked a teacher, much less the head professor. "It was only a dare, no big deal."

"Right," Collins said, standing as well. "I was just told differently…enjoy your day, Miss Dumott-Schunard." With that, he turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Angel called, immediately regretting it as Collins turned around. "Who…who told you differently?"

"That is confidential information, miss. So I can't tell you. That is, unless it was more than a dare…"

The drag queen sighed, looking at the ground. "It started as a dare. Someone did dare me to kiss you. But only because she knew I liked you…look, sir, I know it was wrong to kiss you, and it won't happen again. Just please forget it ever happened—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar pair of coffee-tinged lips was on hers. Once the shock wore off, she happily reciprocated. Finally Collins pulled away. "I could never just forget. I never want to forget. As your teacher, I know it is wrong on my part but—" he kissed her again, "—I've always hated the idea right and wrong tying people down." Angel giggled as Collins swung her into his arms and carried her back around to behind the tree, where there was plenty of privacy. "Now, about that sketch…"

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Joanne hummed peacefully to the sound of Beethoven coming from her boom box. When she had gotten back from her stroll that morning, she had found out that Maureen and Mimi had gone out for lunch and to do a little shopping. That meant several hours of peace and quiet for Joanne to soak in. After taking a long hot shower and tidying up her side of the room, she started on homework with Beethoven playing softly to soothe her. Joanne felt like she was in heaven until…

_SLAM!_

"_This_ is what you do while I'm away?? Jeez Jo, way to live on the wild side. I'm never leaving you here to be boring again." Maureen hopped over to Joanne's desk and flipped off her music. Joanne groaned but didn't resist. She knew there was no way to stop her. "Want to see everything I bought?" Maureen asked excitedly.

"How much sugar have you had today?" Joanne muttered to herself, but turned around to watch Maureen try on everything she had gotten that day. From what the darker girl could tell by the mound on the drama queen's bed, it was going to take a while.

After several new outfits had been shown off, Maureen come over and sat next to Joanne on her bed, wearing nothing but a bra and one of her new skirts. Needless to say, the timid girl was than a little uncomfortable.

"Since we're going to be rooming together for soooo long, and you've already told me lots of stuff about you, I think it's time you learned a little about me."

"I know plenty about you…"Joanne mumbled, trying very hard not to stare at her roommate's toned stomach.

"Yea, you know some stuff, but not the important stuff!" Maureen dramatically huffed. "Like you don't know that I have a pet poodle at home named Sergeant Fluff or that two of my best friends in the whole wide world are Mark and Roger who go to the boys' school across from here or that I'm bisexual or that I once accidentally shaved my cat—"

"Whoa, wait, you're bisexual?" Joanne gasped. She had always wondered why Mo was so cool with her, but she never expected her to be anything but straight. "But how?"

"How?" Maureen giggled. "Well I was kind of made that way. Duh, Joey. I flip both ways. Just depends on how the person fits with me."

Joanne stared at her, mouth open. The brunette lifted her roommate's jaw, patted her head, and flounced across the room. "Now for some good music!" She exclaimed, immediately dancing to whatever happened to be coming from her music player. And for once, Joanne joined her, jumping and dancing along with her, while all along trying to hide how her head was spinning with the new information.

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**So this chapter was mostly getting Angel and Collins together. But there will be Maureen/Joanne/Marguerite drama soon, promise! Yes, Marguerite is coming back in soon…**

**READ AND REVIEW!!! **


	6. Chapter 6

"What is this?" Maureen questioned, poking at the whitish blob inhabiting her plate. The cafeteria was filled with squealing teenagers for dinner time. Maureen sat next to Joanne, with Mimi and Angel in front of them.

"I think it's supposed to be potatoes," Mimi replied, though clearly uncertain. No one was exactly sure what had been served that night. The meal had been described as "Meatloaf Surprise."

"Then why is it moving?" Joanne asked, poking the same blob on her own plate. All four girls jumped slightly and immediately pushed their plates away.

"That's it!" Maureen exclaimed, standing indignantly. "All the food they serve here is completely inedible. We deserve to eat better than this. We should protest! All of us should boycott back in the kitchens until this issue gets the attention it deserves! So that's—"

"How about we go out to eat tomorrow? It will be my treat," Joanne hushed her, pulling the brunette back down. Appeased, Maureen went back to poking at her meal.

"Mind if I join?" A voice with a strong French accent asked from behind them. Marguerite walked up and took a seat beside of Joanne. Joanne blushed as she felt the other girl's thigh find contact with hers under the small table.

"Yes…" Maureen muttered, receiving a slap from Joanne.

"So how are your classes this semester?" Mimi asked.

"Tough," Marguerite groaned. "English is my second language, so keeping up is hard enough. But I have a presentation coming up and my accent is too strong for anyone to understand me at all."

"Who is your teacher?" Joanne asked.

"Professor Collins," Marguerite replied. "I have him for psychology. He is very nice, but cracks down hard when it comes to papers and reports. The presentation that is due is on the life of Freud. I can barely pronounce his name correctly; much less give an oral report."

"I bet Angel could get him to cut you some slack. Right, Angel?" Mimi smirked, bringing her friend into the conversation. Angel elbowed her hard, afraid that Mimi would blow her secret. She had immediately told Mimi about the kiss yesterday and the possibility of a relationship with Collins, but she wasn't ready to tell everyone else. Especially not his sister.

"I'll talk to him about getting you a translator," Angel told the French girl, trying to ignore the questioning looks coming from Maureen and Joanne.

The chit-chat bounced back and forth for a while longer until Maureen finally left, tired of getting no attention. Eventually everyone else left, leaving only Joanne and Marguerite. "So Joanne," Marguerite began, "I was just wondering what you are doing tomorrow. It is still a weekend, you know."

"Yea," Joanne stammered, caught off-guard. "Well I finished my homework earlier today, so I think I'm pretty free tomorrow."

"Great!" Marguerite exclaimed. "Maybe you'd like to hang out with me tomorrow. Say, tomorrow morning in my dorm?"

"Umm…yea, sounds good," Joanne answered, hoping the French girl couldn't see the nerves she was feeling.

"Alright then!" Marguerite said, getting up from the table. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you…" Joanne echoed. Thinking back to Maureen's words the night before at the sleepover, she raced back to her dorm to talk to the drama queen.

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Joanne burst into her dorm room, breathing heavily because of the run from the cafeteria. Maureen sat in front of the mirror they shared, messing with her makeup. Joanne came and sat down beside her. "I think you were right," Joanne said.

"Of course I'm right," Maureen replied, before pausing. "Right about what?"

"I think you were right about Marguerite. We were talking after you left and she asked me to hang out with her tomorrow and maybe I'm overreacting but maybe I'm not and--"

"Drama queen much?" Maureen sighed, walking over to her bed. "So she asked you to hang out. So what? You guys are friends. Friends do stuff together. It doesn't mean she has some big crush on you or anything."

"Yea, but with everything you were saying about her I thought—"

"Well I don't like her, Jo," the brunette replied. "But that doesn't mean you can't. Don't freak out over this. It's no big deal."

"Ok," Joanne answered, immensely relieved. "And for once I don't have homework. Though I assume you do…"

Maureen shrugged. "It can wait. Come on, let's go find Mimi! I get the feeling she has some gossip about her roommate we might be able to squeeze out her." Maureen grabbed Joanne's arm, pulling her out of the room before she could protest.

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"Ugh, she wouldn't tell us anything!" Maureen huffed, slamming the door as she followed a very tired Joanne back into their room three hours later. Rain pelted the windows as thunder crashed loudly. It had started raining while they were in Mimi's room, and it was only getting worse.

"Maybe if you had quit pestering her after an hour…" Joanne mumbled, crawling into her bed, yawning loudly. "Let's just go to sleep. You can ask Angel in the morning."

_Lights off._

_Lights on._

"Joanne?"

"What?"

"Did I mention I'm afraid of thunderstorms?"

"No…"

"Can I sleep in your bed?"

"No."

_Lights off._

_Lights on._

"Joey, pleeeeease?" The darker roommate could feel Maureen's pout without even opening her eyes. She knew the drama queen would leave her alone until she gave in.

"If I say yes, will it shut you up?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

_Oof. "_Ow, Maureen, a little space please."

_Lights off._

"Joanne, are you awake?" Maureen asked after being wide awake for a couple of hours. Joanne turned over, sighing heavily in her sleep. "I take that as a no. Look, Jo, there's a lot of reasons why I hate Marguerite…but the main one is because I'm jealous of how much she likes you. I know it's ridiculous, I mean we're roommates, but I just don't want her to have you if I can't." Maureen rubbed her shoulder lightly before rolling over and finally falling asleep.

Joanne eyes opened wide. She hadn't actually been asleep, but she didn't want to deal with Maureen's chatting in the middle of the night. However, after the confession she just heard, she wished she really had been asleep. _Oh crap…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Sorry for the wait! It's been pretty hectic for me lately. I can't promise the updates will come sooner, but I will definitely try to get this story out faster!**

**A/N: Since Angel is out of drag in the beginning of this chapter, I am referring to her as 'he'.**

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Just as the sun rose over the hills behind Miss Porter's, Angel sprinted across campus to the Dean's office. He had promised Collins he would meet him there before everyone else awoke. He didn't even worry about dressing in drag out of fear of waking Mimi.

Collins was waiting like he promised in his office for his…girlfriend? Boyfriend? Lover? He still wasn't sure what they were. It was one of the reasons he had asked Angel to meet him here.

_Knock knock._

"Come in," Collins called softly. Angel slipped in from behind the solid door. Collins was pleasantly surprised to see this new side of Angel. He was wearing only some dark sweats and an old hoodie, completely out of drag.

"Wow," Collins murmured, more to himself than to Angel. Immediately Angel was self conscious of his decision not to dress up.

"I know this isn't the usual me," Angel said in nearly a whisper. "But Mimi was asleep and I didn't want to wake her…"

"No, no," Collins disagreed, beckoning to the Latino. "You look beautiful, baby. You don't ever have to dress up for me. I'm happy however you look, as long as you're happy."

Angel smiled, sitting in the chair in front of Collins's desk. Collins frowned, clearly disappointed. "What, no good morning kiss?"

The other laughed, coming around the desk between them. Angel gently kissed Collins, unconsciously finding a cozy spot in his lap. The two remained in that position for a little while before Angel finally released him.

"Mmm…" Collins responded. "Now that is the 'good morning' I expected." Angel giggled, kissing his nose and standing up. The professor immediately pulled him back down. "Where do you think you're going? I didn't just call you here for a kiss."

"I know," Angel replied, relaxing into his embrace. "I just thought it would be easier if I were across from you…"

"Well, forget that."

"Ok, then why did you call me here?"

Collins sighed, leaning back. "What are we?"

Angel stared at him, startled. "Well last time I checked we were human…"

Collins laughed, nuzzling the other boy's cheek. "No, I mean us, this relationship. Or is this even a relationship? Are we dating? Or are we just friends with benefits? Or—"

Angel placed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I've been wondering the same thing. But it's only been a day. We've got plenty of time to decide. We don't have to label right away."

"Oh…" Collins mumbled, loosening his grip on Angel. Angel turned to face him, noticing his sudden change. "What's up?"

"Well…I was just hoping we could label. I know it's forbidden or whatever, but I really like you. As more than just a friend. And I completely understand if you're not ready but…"

"I'm ready when you are," Angel cut in, bringing his lips to the professor. Collins happily responded, until he heard footsteps outside his office. Angel looked at him wide-eyed as the handle of the door to his office turned. Collins motioned to the crawlspace under his desk. The student threw himself under the desk just as the door swung open, revealing Maureen.

"COLLINS! I need a favor. And you so owe me after I took the blame for the pig _you_ set loose around campus last semester."

Angel looked up from where he hid, his eyes questioning. Collins pretended to ignore him. "I already paid you back for that. I helped you out in English when you were about to fail. But I suppose that, depending on the favor, I could help you out yet again. That's what friends are for, after all. What do you need?"

"I need you to keep your sister away from that French girl. You know, Marguerite?"

Collins chuckled shaking his head and propping his legs up on his desk, unconsciously giving Angel full view of his butt and blocking the Latino's view of anything else. "How do you expect me to do that? It's completely against school policy to single out any student for no reason."

"But you do have a reason!"

"And that reason is…" Maureen's eyes went wide, immediately realizing her mistake in coming here.

"You know what? Never mind. I'll just deal with it myself…"

"Maureen, I know you well. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Anything?" Maureen asked, unconsciously pouting. She sighed. "Okay. I really like Joanne. I've liked her since we met and now Marguerite with her pretty face and her sexy French-ness is getting in the way of any chance I have with her. She flirts with Joanne_ all the time_ and now they've got some early-morning date and I can't compete with that! So I need you, as the big brother and Dean of this school, to keep them apart at whatever cost."

"I can't do that, Mo. I'll lose my job. But if you really feel that strongly about her, go fight for her. Forget about Marguerite."

"Right," Maureen said, nodding her head. "I'll fight." With that she turned and left the room.

"You really think she has a chance?" Angel piped up once he heard the door slam. Collins sighed and put his feet down, pulling Angel back into his lap. "Dear God, I hope not. I don't want someone like Maureen dating my little sister. But I also know that if I said so to that wild child, it would make her work even harder to win Joanne over just to prove me wrong."

"Oh," Angel answered, nodding. "By the way, you have a very nice butt…" Collins looked at him, astounded, and then blushed with realization. The smaller of the two laughed and kissed his cheek before skipping out of the room.

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Joanne looked at herself in the mirror after changing for the umpteenth that morning. She had no idea why she was so nervous to meet Marguerite. They were just friends after all. She had hung out with Maureen, Angel, and Mimi plenty of times and was completely comfortable. _It's just because she's new, _Joanne reasoned with herself. _I've just never spent time with her before_.

She sighed as she tucked in her shirt. The remark Maureen had made the night before when she thought Joanne was asleep kept running through her head. So Maureen liked her. She really liked her. It astounded Joanne how completely oblivious she was to the attraction. It wasn't as if she was skilled at realizing a crush, but Maureen was her _roommate_. She knew the drama queen like the back of her hand and still didn't see it coming.

Joanne heard a groan from behind her. She turned around to see Maureen propped up on one elbow, watching from Joanne's bed. The darker girl blushed, grateful that her skin hid it. She turned back to the mirror.

"You look fine, Jo. And besides, it's not like it matters. Unless you consider this a date…"

"I don't," Joanne quickly replied, turning back toward the other girl. "And I'm leaving now. I'll be back after a while."

"Yeah, yeah," Maureen grumbled, flopping over so that she was facing the wall. Joanne opened her mouth, ready to ask about the comment last night, but she couldn't bring herself to bring it up. So instead she just quietly slipped out into the hallway without another word.

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Marguerite's dorm was down a floor from Joanne's. When she reached the doorway, she stopped and reminded herself to breath, and then knocked. The door immediately swung open to reveal the redhead. She was all dressed up in a short black mini skirt with ruffles along the bottom, and a very revealing red sparkly halter top that showed off every curve. Joanne was suddenly very self-conscious of her worn jeans and Harvard t-shirt.

The French girl immediately pulled Joanne into a hug, kissing her on either cheek. She giggled at the surprised look on the serious student's face, and motioned Joanne into the center of the room. Joanne instantly noticed how clean the room was. Everything had been pushed back along the walls, leaving plenty of space in the middle.

"I remembered what you said at Truth or Dare," Marguerite began, "About wanting to learn to Tango. So today, I will teach you. It will come in handy, I assure you." Without giving Joanne a chance to respond, Marguerite wrapped one arm around Joanne's waist, motioning for her to do the same, and grabbed Joanne's free hand, lacing their fingers together. With her foot, the redhead turned on the music. A soft entrancing tune played from the boom box.

"Now, we move like this," the French girl said moving forward, making Joanne stumble backwards. She giggled. "Yes, like that, but with a little more grace, hmm?"

Slowly but surely, Joanne began to get the hang of the Tango. A smile spread across her face as the two danced around in one fluid motion, completely in-sync with the music and each other. Marguerite gently led her around, showing her all of the steps without saying much of anything. All fears that the other girl had about this date melted away as the music invaded her mind, leaving her completely breathless.

Finally, the music came to an end and the two gradually stopped. "You are a fast learner," Marguerite smiled, gently bringing her arms down to Joanne's waist. "You—you're a great teacher," Joanne stammered, nervously aware of how close they stood together.

"I bet there is something else I can teach you. Something from my culture…" the French schoolgirl insinuated.

"What's that?" The nervous teen asked.

"The French kiss…" Marguerite brought their lips together. Joanne's heart began to beat out of her chest as she instinctively reciprocated. Marguerite smiled, slipping her tongue into the other girl's mouth. Joanne was about to pull away when—

"JOANNE!" Maureen burst through the door. "I can't stand this! I don't want you anywhere near—" She froze at the sight of Joanne kissing Marguerite. Joanne looked up, wide-eyed and shocked to see Maureen standing in the doorway.

Marguerite just smirked. "Oh, hello! How nice of you to join us. However, I think we were a little busy…" She grabbed Joanne's hand. Maureen's eyed brimmed with tears as she fled the room.

"Maureen! Wait! This isn't what it looks like…" But it was too late. The drama queen had disappeared. Joanne turned to face Marguerite. "I think I should go."

"Why?" Marguerite huffed. "She will get over it. She always does."

"You don't know her," Joanne snapped. "You don't know if she'll get over it. But I do. I know I need to make things right before she does something drastic."

"But what about me? What about us?" Marguerite whined, pulling Joanne back.

"My friendship is in danger. That's a little more important than this 'date' you set up." Before Marguerite could reply, Joanne left the room and went to go find Maureen.

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**Hope it was worth the wait! Read and Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Two chapters in one day! A special present for the long wait! This chapter has a LOT of Mojo drama in it. But what's a story without a little drama?**

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Joanne ran all over campus searching for her missing friend. She even looked in classrooms, thinking she might hide in the last place anyone would expect her to be. Exhausted and out of breath, she finally gave up and walked back to her room, hoping to maybe bump into someone who knew where Maureen was along the way.

Joanne couldn't believe that all this drama had happened, and it was only noon. Moreover, she couldn't believe that the drama had been caused by her. The brainiac was smart, cunning, and most of all, very cautious. She was always one to plan for everything, or any scenario. But the one thing, the_ one thing_, she didn't plan ahead for blows up to mass proportions. But then, she reasoned, there wasn't any scenario that she could've come up with that would've ended like this.

Finally making it back to her dorm, Joanne was shocked to hear sobs coming from within. She had searched all around campus for Maureen and she had been in their room all along. Once the initial shock wore off, the darker roommate swung open the door. Maureen lay on her own bed, for once, crying miserably. The brunette jumped at the sound of the doorway creaking open. She wiped at her eyes, sniffing loudly. "What, did you finally quit kissing your French whore of a girlfriend long enough to realize your friend might be upset?"

Joanne sighed and took a step toward Maureen. "Actually, I left right after you did. I've spent all this time looking for you in every possible place, only to find out you've been in our room all along."

"Don't give me that shit," Maureen spat. "I don't want some fake 'I actually care about you' monologue that you think might placate me long enough to find another friend to live with who isn't stupid enough to fall for her roommate."

"It isn't like that," Joanne groaned, gathering the courage to sit on the edge of the other's bed. "I know you don't want to believe it, but Marguerite came on to me. _She_ asked me on a date. _She_ set up some romantic dance lesson. _She_ initiated the kiss that you walked in on."

"And _you_ fell for it," Maureen answered turning away. "You can't blame it all on her like you had nothing to do with anything. You could've easily pulled away or said no."

"I was going to! I was getting ready to right as you walked in. And I had no idea that she had that in mind. I have zero natural inclination to when anyone is interested in me, at all."

Maureen glared at her. "Then how did you know that I liked you? And don't play stupid and say you didn't. I watched you this morning when you were getting ready. You were so assuring that it wasn't a date, like you didn't want to hurt my feelings for going out with someone other than me. So how did you know, oh ye of natural oblivion?"

Joanne looked down and mumbled unintelligibly. Maureen shoved her lightly with her foot in a way to make her speak up. Joanne looked the brunette in the eyes and said, "I heard you talking last night. I didn't answer you because I didn't want to have a long conversation with you on into the night. But I heard what you said about being jealous of Marguerite. So yes, I was walking on eggshells a little this morning."

"Why didn't say something?!" Maureen screeched, standing on her bed and towering over Joanne. "If you had just said something, anything, about hearing me last night, I wouldn't have made a fool out of myself by running after you in a pointless hope you would pick me over her."

"There isn't any picking to be done," Joanne exclaimed as calmly as possible, cowering under Maureen's glare. "I hadn't even thought twice about Marguerite until you kept bringing her up. And even now, I'm not sure if I want her at all! Especially after how she treated you earlier this morning."

Maureen plopped back down, making the bed bounce. "You aren't sure? You aren't sure if want to be with her at all? Even after she kissed you?"

"I told you, Mo, I was going to pull away. I went to hang out with Marguerite as friends and nothing more. I didn't want anything—" Joanne let out a small squeal of surprise when she felt Maureen's lips on hers. The timid female practically melted into the kiss. It was completely different from the kiss with Marguerite. This kiss was much gentler, and less forced. She could taste Maureen's chocolate breakfast mixing with the tinge of toothpaste still on her tongue. Finally they both pulled away at the same time.

Maureen smirked. "I'll tell you what," she said, "You certainly weren't pulling away from me…"

Joanne put her head in her hands. "You can't do stuff like that, Maureen! You can't just kiss me and expect me to come falling into your arms like some fairytale ending! It doesn't work that way! If you think that kiss was going to have me running circles around you and make me completely forget about Marguerite, then you're no better than she is!"

The drama queen's mouth dropped open. "But you reciprocated! You kissed me back, Joanne! You can't say you didn't feel anything! I know I did. So why are you resisting?"

"Because I don't know what I want!" Joanne exclaimed, standing up and taking a step away from her roommate. "Yes, I felt something. But I felt something with Marguerite too. So does that mean I want both of you? Or neither of you? I. Don't. Know. Just give me space, Maureen. I can't just worry about everything you need when I've got things to worry about myself. For example, I have classes, and grades, and the fact that my _brother_ is the freakin' DEAN doesn't help much either! I need time to think. I need…I just need time to think."

Maureen stood up and grabbed a suitcase from under the bed. "I you need time to figure things out then fine. I'll give you all the time you need. I'll just move out."

Joanne snorted. "You can't move out. There's nowhere to move. And that's not what I meant—"

"You said you wanted space so I'm giving you space, Jo! I'm leaving and when you figure things out you know where to find me." Maureen piled clothes into her suitcase and began dragging it out the door.

"And where will I be able to find you?" Joanne asked, watching Maureen struggle with her luggage.

The brunette paused. "Hmm…I don't know yet. I guess I'll ask Mimi and Angel if they've got extra room."

"Maureen, this is ridiculous. You're blowing this out of proportion. You don't need to move out—"

"Just tell me when you've made a decision, Jo. Even if it's to be with _her._" With that, Maureen slammed the door behind her. Joanne sighed exasperatedly, staring at all of the stuff Maureen had left. She shook her head, unsure of how long her roommate's grudge would last.

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Mimi and Angel were in their room across the hall, playing cards on a lazy Sunday afternoon and gossiping, completely oblivious to the drama across the hall. Angel had already told the other Latina about the close call that morning with Maureen. They were both still laughing about it when someone knocked on their door.

Angel, now dressed in a green and white printed skirt and green tank top, answered the door. Maureen stood across the threshold, tears streaming down her face and suitcase in hand. "Well speak of the devil…" Mimi muttered under her breath.

"Can I come in?" Maureen asked, peering into the room.

"Sure, honey," Angel replied, ushering her in. "What's with the suitcase? Did something happen between you and Joanne?"

"Yes!" Maureen exclaimed. "It's hard to explain, but Joanne kicked me out! So now I have to find a place to stay…"

"Whoa! Hold up, Joanne kicked you out? That doesn't sound like something she would do," Mimi interrupted, already suspicious of her friend's antics.

"Well she did! She said she 'needed space' or something like that. And now I need a place to stay. Can I stay here? Pleeeeease?" Maureen's bottom lip crept into a pout.

"Of course you can!" Angel immediately sympathized, hugging her. Mimi, however, didn't buy it at all.

"Come on, Maureen, I've known you for a couple of years now. I'm completely immune to all your tricks. What really happened between you and Jo?"

Maureen huffed. "Ok, she didn't exactly kick me out. But I can't stay with her. Some…stuff happened between us and she really did say she needed space and I don't know where else to go and I don't want to have to sleep outside and—"

"Will you shut up already??" Mimi cut in. "You can stay here. We'll set up a cot or something. But what happened between you and Joanne to make it where you can't sleep in the same room?"

"Marguerite happened…" Maureen grumbled softly enough that they couldn't hear. "It's hard to explain. I really appreciate you guys keeping me on such short notice."

"Of course, dear," Angel sweetly answered. "But how long do you think this quarrel will last before you can move back in with her?"

"I don't know…whenever Joanne gets over herself, so probably two weeks to a month?"

"A _month_?" Mimi indignantly whispered, only to be hushed by Angel.

"Stay as long as you'd like," Angel told Maureen, who smiled and left to find a cot.

Mimi groaned as soon as the door slammed shut again. "Maybe you can handle a month with Maureen, but I certainly can't. I have no idea how Joanne puts up with her."

"What happened between them anyway?" Angel questioned, fluffing out her skirt.

Mimi shrugged. "I have no idea," she said, "But we are definitely going to have to meddle and find out. It's obviously bad. Joanne wouldn't kick her out for no reason."

"Right," Angel agreed. "Let's just hope Maureen will give us some answers." The two nodded to each other and went back to their card game, waiting for Maureen to return.

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**Read and Review as always!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**For those who have been asking, Mark and Roger will be in this story. But since they don't go to or work at Miss Porter's, I'm not sure when it will be. Not for another couple of chapters, at least. However, I am not a Benny fan so there will probably not be much more of Benny other than perhaps a casual mention.**

**Enjoy!**

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Collins quickly erased the previous day's notes as his morning class slowly streamed in. He had heard from Angel about the fight between Maureen and Joanne a couple of weeks ago. The professor tried to talk to both his sister and the drama queen, but neither seemed inclined to budge. Joanne always said that Maureen could move back in whenever she wanted, but that the brunette was too dramatic to give up a pointless fight. Maureen fervently disagreed, saying that she would move back in a heartbeat, but Joanne had all but barricaded the door. Collins wasn't sure which to believe, but hoped that the two would make up soon enough. Angel's complaints of Maureen as a roommate were cutting in on his make-out sessions.

Just as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, Joanne straggled in, tissue in hand. The poor girl looked miserable. Her nose was red and puffy, contrasting with her very pale and blotchy skin. She seemed too drained of energy to even put one foot in front of the other. A sneeze erupted into her crumpled tissue as she took her seat.

"Miss Jefferson?" Collins quietly called. "May I speak with you outside?" Even though the entire school knew they were siblings, their relationship was completely professional during school hours. Joanne looked up, as if seeing Collins for the first time, and silently left the classroom. The professor followed her out.

"Joanne, what is wrong with you?" Collins immediately demanded, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Just—_Achoo!—_allergies. This always happens right around mid-October. If you were home more often you would know that."

"Oh, and do these allergies make you more critical of others?" Collins joked, wrapping an arm around the sick girl. "You realize I'm not letting you back into my classroom, right?"

"But—"

"I'm not going to let you sit in there and contaminate the air with your sick germs. I'd like to keep my class healthy, thanks. Now, go to bed. You need sleep to shake off this cold or whatever you've got. I'll come and check on you later in the afternoon."

Joanne nodded, knowing there was no protesting, and dragged her way back to the dorms. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

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Joanne heard a quiet knock at the door right as she was waking up from her nap. She wasn't sure what time it was. Her muscles ached and her eyes were so swelled she could hardly open them. "Come in," she croaked.

The door opened slightly, revealing Marguerite. The redhead was carrying a bowl of soup with some bread on the side. She walked carefully in, trying not to spill the meal, and placed it next to Joanne's bed while making herself comfortable next to the sick girl.

"They were having soup in the cafeteria for lunch. I wasn't sure if you had eaten yet, so I brought you some. If you aren't hungry, I can take it back…"

"No, no," Joanne said, smiling. "I've been sleeping the day away. I am actually feeling a little hungry…" The darker girl wasn't actually hungry at all, but still took a sip of the soup beside of her. The bitter taste of bad cafeteria food made her nauseous, but she put up a front for Marguerite. It was the thought that counted, after all.

The redhead smiled brightly. "It is noon. The afternoon classes begin in half an hour. What classes are you missing?"

Joanne stuffed her face in her pillow, groaning. "I don't even want to think about the classes I'm missing. I'm going to have so much work to do once I'm better."

"I can go get the homework from your classes, if you'd like. That way, you won't get behind and you'll have something to do while getting better. A good plan, no?"

"That would be wonderful!" Joanne exclaimed, her body screaming in protest to the energy exerted. She weakly hugged the French girl, who hugged back fiercely. The warm embrace made Joanne feel happy and secure. She never wanted to let go, but eventually Marguerite's grasp loosened.

"Thank you so much. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is manically organized on this campus."

Marguerite snorted. "My father is the ambassador of a country. Organization is in my blood." Joanne chuckled, lying back down. "Now I'll just go get your work and bring it to you. Why don't you get some more sleep?" Standing up, Marguerite gently kissed Joanne's forehead and left the room.

Joanne smirked, still tingling from the embrace. As she drifted back into a deep slumber, the face of Marguerite entranced her dreams.

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"COLLINS!"

Collins didn't even have to look up to know it was Maureen. He could hear her stomping down the hallway since she entered the building.

"My, aren't we irritable today," Collins said, putting down the paper he was grading.

"I don't know what irritable means, but I'll tell you what, I'm mad!" Collins chuckled as Maureen sunk into the chair in front of him, wrapping her leather coat around herself. "This isn't funny, Collins! Joanne is going out of her way not to see me. I mean, I get why she's not sitting with me at meals anymore, but to not go to the classes we're in together just because she doesn't want to be near me—"

"Is completely ridiculous and insane. And very unlike Joanne," Collins finished, leaning back.

"Exactly!" Maureen exclaimed. "I can't believe—"

"She's sick, Mo," Collins interrupted before she could begin another rant. "She isn't in class because she is sick. If you would move back in with her, you would know that."

"I've told you a million times, Collins. Joanne doesn't want me to move back in. If she did, she would make an effort to prove it. And besides, I'm fine where I am. Mimi and Angel are great roommates."

"Yeah, about that…"

"Is Joanne okay?" Maureen cut in, worry suddenly etched in her face. "Is she sick like in the hospital sick? Like dying sick? Is she going to die, Collins? Oh God, Joanne is gonna die and the last memory she has of us is fighting. Which hospital is she at Collins? Somewhere near here? Or back at her home—"

"Maureen, would you shut the hell up?!" Collins yelled, slamming his hand on his desk. "She is not dying! She has allergies and a cold. I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days. Now, would you quit the dramatics?"

"Sorry…" Maureen mumbled, quickly brushing tears away. "Two weeks is just a really long time not to talk to Joanne. I usually can't go two hours without talking to her. I have no idea what's going on with her at all so I immediately jump to conclusions. These feelings have seriously screwed everything up with us. I wish I had never told her…"

"You did the right thing by telling her, Mo," Collins said, attempting to comfort her. "She just isn't used to having anyone like her as anything more than a friend, especially more than one person. You've got to give her time. But if you block her out, you'll never know what's going on. And don't give that crap about her not wanting you back in her room. It's your room too, and she knows that. Why don't you do something nice for her to make her feel better? It would be a sweet way to strengthen your friendship again."

"Like flowers?" Maureen asked, her puffy eyes full of hope.

Collins contained himself from laughing at how ridiculous Maureen looked, replying, "Sure. Flowers sound great."

"Okay! I'll go get her flowers!" The drama queen ran out the door, slamming it as she left. Collins didn't even get a chance to remind her about class.

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Marguerite didn't get to bring Joanne her homework until classes were over for the day. She opened the door a crack. Seeing that the sick girl was still dead asleep, the redhead walked into the room on her own. Just as she was about to lay the homework down on Joanne's bed, something caught her eye. Some flowers were now at the foot of Joanne's bed, unlike before. Curious, Marguerite took a look at tag.

_Joanne—_

_I know we've been on the outs a little lately, and I'm sorry for that. I guess I overreacted way too much by storming out of the dorm like that. After our kiss, things got a little crazy, but I don't want to lose our friendship just because of it. _

_I heard you were sick today. Your favorite flowers are white tulips, but I wasn't sure if you were allergic so I bought fake ones just in case. But at least they will never die, just like our friendship._

_Please feel better. And maybe we can talk once you're up to it._

—_Maureen_

After reading this, Marguerite was completely shocked. She had known they were fighting, but didn't have any idea why. Now that she knew, she had to take Maureen out of the picture. After all, that was another thing she learned being the ambassador's daughter: competition.

Ripping the note from the flowers and throwing it in the direction of the trashcan, the French girl opened her notebook and quickly scribbled on a blank sheet:

_Dear Joanne,_

_Since I was bringing your homework anyway, I thought I would bring you flowers as well. I hope these will make you feel better. A girl like you is too amazing to be so sick._

_Kisses,_

_Marguerite_

When Joanne woke up later on, it was already dark. The first thing she saw was the flowers next to her bed. Smiling, she read the note from Marguerite…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

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After several days of feeling miserable, Joanne finally felt well enough to go to classes. Marguerite had kept her updated on classes everyday, so she wasn't behind at all. Even though Marguerite had been taking care of her while she was sick, Joanne still couldn't consider her to be her girlfriend. The sparks she had with Maureen were always at the back of her mind.

Maureen hadn't come to see Joanne at all while she was sick. Joanne had hoped that when she awoke, her ex-roommate would be at her side, talking about random things like she used to, but the brunette had kept her distance. The darker girl took this distance as a sign of Maureen giving up on them and their friendship. It hurt to think their friendship was ruined, but Joanne still had Marguerite.

As lunchtime rolled around, Joanne walked in through the double-doors, her French mate in tow. The warm rumble of chatting and laughing immediately hit her, making her spirits rise. After grabbing what looked a little like something that was edible off the bar, Joanne followed Marguerite to an empty table toward the front. She threw a pleading glance toward her usual table in the back with Mimi, Angel, and Maureen. Mimi and Angel were laughing about something, but Maureen just looked sad. Joanne wondered what was upsetting her, but knew better than to ask. If Maureen wanted her back in her life, she would make it happen.

"Are you kidding me?!" Maureen exclaimed, stabbing her food. "She actually had the nerve to look over here, take one look at me, and turn away! I sent her flowers! I never send anyone flowers. And yet, she is still so caught up in 'French Sexiness' over there that she doesn't even see that the girl she wants is right in front of her and she keeps pushing her away."

"Joanne will come around, Mo," Angel soothed half-heartedly. All she and Mimi had heard since the drama queen had moved in with them was how Joanne wanted nothing to do with her. They understood that Maureen was upset, but the act was getting old. Mimi didn't even respond to the brunette's rant.

Maureen grunted and left the table.

"Okay, we need to plan some sort of intervention," Mimi said as soon as Maureen was out of earshot. "I love Mo to death, but she really needs to snap out of it. There are other fish in the sea."

"I could talk to Collins and see if he could talk with them. I'm sure if I give him an ultimatum, he'll agree."

"Do it," Mimi demanded. "Collins is the perfect guy for an intervention." After setting up their plan, Mimi left to go comfort Maureen once again and Angel went to go find Collins.

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Collins waited for his lover by the tree where they first got together. Angel hadn't gotten there yet, so he sat down behind it and took in the scenery. The professor was still amazed at how lucky he was to have someone like Angel in his life. He had been in several relationships in the past, with several different men, but all had hurt him in the end. Thinking about Angel, he knew there was no way she could ever hurt him the way others had.

"Boo!"

"AAGH!" Collins jumped, jolted out of his thoughts. Angel towered above him, prodding her boyfriend with her foot. "Jeez, Ang, are you trying to kill me?"

"Something like that," the Latina giggled, smoothing her skirt and hopping into his lap. The two sat nestled together for a long while, until Collins broke the silence. "So you called me here because…"

"Do I have to have a reason?" Angel pouted. Collins, however, knew that devious look well.

"Don't even try. I know something is up. Out with it."

Angel sighed directly into Collins' ear, knowing it drove him crazy. "Well…I kind of need a favor…"

"Hmm…" Collins grunted, unable to make a coherent sentence in his current position.

"I need you to set up some sort of intervention for Maureen and Joanne. It's been weeks! This is the longest they've gone without talking since they met. And now Joanne is dating Marguerite so…"

"Whoa, hold on," Collins exclaimed, snapping out of his trance. "Joanne is dating that French transfer student?"

"Yes, and Maureen is about to go nuts! That's why you are going to talk to your little sister—"

"No," Collins said.

"What do you mean?" Angel pouted, rubbing his shoulders. "Don't you want them to be happy?"

"I do, but this isn't my place to do anything. I love them both to death, but if you want Mo out of your life so badly you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"But there will be benefits…" Angel smirked, unfazed.

"I said no, Ang," Collins repeated, loosening his grip so they were facing each other. "Why are you acting like this? I realize you want Mo out of your room, but it's not like you to try to convince someone to do the dirty work for you. I'm a professor, Angel. You all are my students. It's not my place to step in."

"Well sorry, but I got the idea that I was a little more than your student," Angel huffed, sliding off his lap. "I got the idea that all of us were more than just your students. We're your friends, too. And I thought I was your lover…"

"You are!" Collins said, grabbing her hand. Angel snapped her hand out of his grasp, standing up.

"I have to go…" she whispered, clearly upset. "My friends need my help. Maybe you should just go grade our papers like teachers are supposed to do."

"Angel, wait!" Collins yelled, but it was too late. All he could see was her back hurrying down the walk.

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Angel opened the door to her dorm and flopped down on her bed without a second glance at Mimi. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her ridiculous fight with Collins played over in her head. A warm hand found its way to her stomach. "What happened?" Mimi's soothing voice calmly asked.

"I don't really know…" Angel hiccupped, turning on her stomach. "I think we might've broken up…"

"_What?!_" Mimi jumped back, surprised. "You can't be serious. You two are made for each other."

"Things change, Meems," Angel explained. "Things are always changing."

"Our group is completely breaking, isn't it?"

"No," Angel defiantly answered, sitting up and wiping her tears away. "Collins wasn't really a part of our group. Maureen and Joanne didn't even know we were together. But we've got to get them back together. Come on, we've got an intervention to plan."

The two planned late into the night setting up each stage of the intervention, skipping their afternoon classes and dinner trying to organize everything perfectly. By the time Maureen dragged herself back to the room after dinner, the plan was set and hidden away.

"Where have you guys been? I had to sit with a bunch of gossipy girls during dinner just so I wouldn't sit alone. I looked for you everywhere."

"Sorry, Mo," Angel apologized as Maureen came to sit beside her. "We've been working on homework. I'm surprised you didn't just sit by yourself or with—"

"Don't even say it," Maureen snapped. "My ex-roommate came in with her French whore at her heels. There was no way I was going anywhere near them."

Mimi discreetly rolled her eyes, but the two let the subject drop. Both were just hoping their plan would work…and work fast.

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**Operation MoJo: In Action**

"Joanne!"

Joanne whirled around at hearing her name being called. She was surprised to see Mimi running toward her down the walk between classes. The day was breezy so Mimi's untamed hair was blown every which way. Joanne smiled at the friendly face and waited for her to catch her breath.

"You have to make amends with Maureen. You have to get her out of our room." Joanne's smile quickly faded. This was not the hello she was expecting. She just shook her head and kept walking, beckoning Mimi to follow her.

"I can't just force her back into my room. I have no problem with her moving back in, but that's her decision. And she's made it very clear that she wants nothing to do with me."

"What do you mean?" Mimi asked, bewildered.

"I was sick and she didn't even come see me. It's been several weeks and she hasn't so much as looked at me. As far as I'm concerned, our friendship is finished."

"Joanne, she sent you flowers when you were sick. Maureen is not a naturally thoughtful person and she thought of you. You are the one blowing her off. She made her move and you ignored her."

Joanne whipped around, shocked by the lie flying from her friend's mouth. "You think _Maureen_ sent me those flowers? Did she tell you that? I always knew her to be overdramatic, but never a liar…"

"What are you talking about??" Mimi asked exasperatedly.

"You were right about Maureen not being thoughtful, which is why it surprises me that you believe such a phony lie as the one she told. Mo didn't send those flowers. The tag read Marguerite. Now, I know Maureen doesn't like her and would do anything to take her down a notch, but Marguerite's actually an honestly good person. And she's been a better friend to me lately than any of you."

Mimi stood silent for a moment, shocked and hurt by the low blow. "Look," she sighed, determined not to waver from the plan, "There is no need to defend your girlfriend to me. I just need you to talk to Maureen—"

"Marguerite isn't my girlfriend," Joanne chuckled. "She isn't anything other than a friend. You probably heard from Maureen that she was my girlfriend too, didn't you?"

The Latina nodded. "For the record, I'm not dating anyone. And if Maureen wants back in my life and room, she knows where to find me. I'm sorry I blew up at you earlier, but I'm just not interested in making the first move on these amends." With that, Joanne walked away.

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As night fell, a huge storm arrived at Miss Porter's. The harsh winds shook the shutters of the window behind Joanne's bed. Joanne was lying wide awake, unable to sleep soundly through the noise. Tears rolled down her face as she thought of everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks. Sure, she had gained a great friend in Marguerite, who had been by Joanne's side the entire time since their failed "date." But the one friend Joanne wanted the most, even needed the most, was her best friend. She needed Maureen.

_SLAM!_

"Joey?" An unusually timid voice came from threshold. "I know we haven't been talking at all lately, and I know you probably don't want me at your door this late at night, but I really don't care! There's a storm, a really very BIG storm, and Mimi and Angel are sleeping and there's a tree that's scraping on their window and I can't sleep!"

_Well speak of the devil_, Joanne thought to herself as she chuckled with relief. It had been too long since she had heard that voice. Maureen huffed, "This isn't funny! If you're just gonna laugh at me when I came here to be comforted, then I'll just—"

"Come on, Mo," Joanne cut in, scooting over in her bed. "There's room for you over here." Maureen quickly shut the door and scampered across the room, climbing into Joanne's bed snuggling up to her, forcing Joanne's arms around her. The familiarity of the shape in her arms made Joanne's smile widen.

"I've missed you," Maureen whispered, turning around to face her roommate. "There's been so much happening lately and the only one I wanted to tell was you. But we were fighting over something stupid so I couldn't talk to you at all."

"Mo, if you had something to tell me, you should've just come to me," Joanne said, wrapping her arms tighter. "I've been wanting to talk to you too, but I knew that if I made the first move and you were still mad then nothing would come of it."

"Well I sent you flowers when you were sick to try to make things better! And you didn't even acknowledge the gesture. Why didn't you at least say thank you or something?"

"The flowers I got were not from you," Joanne sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "The flowers I got were from Marguerite. She was the only one who came to see me at all while I was sick."

"_She_ sent you flowers??" Maureen exploded. "That's not fair! You were only supposed to get them from me. She doesn't even know what your favorites are! I sent you fake white tulips, in case you were allergic. What did she send you—roses? Ha! She doesn't know you at all. She doesn't—"

"Maureen, would you shut up?" Joanne exclaimed, placing her hand over the drama queen's mouth. "The flowers I got were fake white tulips. I'm not allergic, by the way. But the tag said they were from Marguerite…"

"Did you ever think that maybe your French lover isn't as perfect as you thought?"

"I never thought she was perfect. But it isn't like her to—wait, did you say lover?"

Maureen rolled over, facing away from Joanne. "Yes. You've made it pretty clear lately that you're dating her. I never see you anymore without her right behind you. It's like she's never away from you."

"Mo, Marguerite is not my girlfriend. She definitely beautiful, there's no denying that, and I've certainly thought about asking her out, especially since I thought our friendship was over. But I'm just not romantically attracted to her in any way. The kiss that you walked in on ages ago—that's the only one there's ever been between us. There wasn't any chemistry, at least not from my end."

Maureen sniffled. "Then why have you made it seem like you've been dating this whole time? I thought…"

Joanne gently rolled Maureen back over, pulling a brunette curl away from her face.  
"You thought what?"

"I thought there wasn't a chance with you anymore. I had given up all hope of ever having you because it was clear that our kiss, which had meant everything to me, meant nothing to you."

Joanne shushed Maureen, who was now in tears, and rubbed little circles on her back. "This kiss with you meant a lot to me too. But so does our friendship. I was scared, Mo. I'm still scared. I don't want a relationship to ruin what we already have. I don't want to ever spend another several weeks without you in my life. And if things don't work out, what if we can never be close again?"

"Is that why you turned to Marguerite?" Maureen hiccupped. "Is that why you made it seem like you were dating her, so that you wouldn't have to deal with your feelings?"

"No, it's not like that. When we had that big fight after our first kiss, I was honestly confused. I was very attracted to Marguerite, but I was also very attracted to you. That's what I meant when I said I needed space to figure things out. I needed to decide who I wanted to be with. Spending all that time with Marguerite when we stopped talking made me realize that the only thing I feel for her is attraction. I want more than that in a relationship. I want a connection and a trust. I want to be able to talk to my girlfriend about anything, and there's only one person I can be that open with."

"Who?" Maureen squeaked.

Joanne laced there fingers together, locking Maureen's eyes in darkness surrounding them. "You. I've made my decision, Maureen. I want you, my best friend, to be more than just my friend. Do you think you can handle that?"

Maureen squealed loudly. "Are you kidding me? That's exactly what I've wanted to hear since forever!" Joanne's laugh at the answer was quickly quieted as she locked with her girlfriend's lips. The kiss was passionate yet sweet, much like the last one they shared but more final. Joanne couldn't help but smile into the kiss, making Maureen pull apart. "So you're sure about this? You really don't want your French puppy instead of me?"

"I'm positive," Joanne said, pulling Maureen on top of her. "All I need is right here. I just needed to time to figure it out." Joanne looked around, amazed by the sudden silence. "Hey, the rain stopped. The storm must've blown over. If you want, I'm sure your bed in Mimi and Angel's room is open."

Maureen laid her head on Joanne's chest, snuggling in close. "I think I'm perfectly happy right here, with you." Shortly after, two finally fell asleep cuddled together with identical smiles plastered on their faces.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**I'm so sorry for the wait! It's been crazy with school and stuff. I hope this chapter makes up for it!**

Sun streamed into the small dorm the following morning. Joanne opened one eye and groaned, turning over. She nearly yelped as she bumped into the unmoving lump beside of her. Suddenly all of the events of the previous night flooded her memory. A grin crept onto her face as she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend once again.

_Girlfriend._ The term rolled around in Joanne's head. It seemed so final, so possessive. The term fit every emotion the darker female felt for the sleeping form beside her. After all of the drama that had happened between the two, the spark both felt was still as strong as ever before. Joanne knew the responsibility in trying to keep up with a girl like Maureen, but was sure it would be completely worth it.

The lump finally began to wiggle as she aroused. Joanne smirked as she kissed Maureen's neck lightly. Maureen smiled as she turned to face her lover. "Can I wake up like this every morning? Can I wake up here in your arms with a simple kiss of good morning from the most beautiful girl I've ever met?"

"Of course you can, dear," Joanne replied, gently kissing the brunette on the lips. Maureen buried her head in the other girl's chest, mumbling something along the lines of not wanting to ever move again. Joanne giggled as she sat up, dragging Maureen along with her.

"You have to get up. I'm sure Mimi and Angel want an explanation as to why you weren't in their room this morning."

"They won't care. If they see that both of us are missing, then I'm sure they can put two and two together."

"But I'm hungry…" Joanne whined, going for another tactic to get the drama queen out of bed.

Maureen sighed. "Can we just lay here and kiss a little longer? Breakfast will still be served for another hour." The darker girl nodded her approval before capturing the brunette's lips in a heated lip-lock.

_Knock knock._

"Joanne? You were supposed to meet me in the lobby thirty minutes ago…" Marguerite popped her head into the unlocked doorway. Joanne immediately tried to spring back but Maureen held her close. Marguerite's mouth hung open as the silence loomed. Finally her face darkened as the image in front of her registered.

"What are you doing with _her_?" The red-head asked, her scowl deepening. "You told me just yesterday that there was no chance you would ever want to be with her again."

"No," Joanne quickly corrected as she felt Maureen's grip loosen, "I said there was no chance I would ever get to be with her again. At the time, I didn't think there was. But she and I resolved things last night, and are now more than just friends. I hope that doesn't change the friendship I have with you though, Marguerite."

"Of course it does!" Marguerite bellowed, her voice rising loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "I never wanted to be only friends with you! I was just waiting for you to give up on that drama bitch so there would be nothing holding you back from being with me. You and I both know how much she's hurt you, Joanne. She's ignored you for weeks, leaving you miserable. You're lucky you even had me to lean on at all! You're only going to get hurt with a girl like that and you know it. Leave her, Joanne. Leave her and be with me."

"Look, Frenchie, don't you dare attack my—" Maureen began, leaping up but held back by Joanne.

Joanne pushed Maureen back onto the bed and stood up. "I know you don't agree with it, but I've made my decision, Marguerite. Maureen is the one I want. She's the one I've wanted from the beginning. Surely you knew that. If you plan to stand here and attack her, then I'd appreciate and if you would leave."

The French girl stood in the threshold for only a moment longer before storming away. Joanne gently fell back on the bed, directly into Maureen's arms. The brunette rested her head on the darker girl's shoulder, kissing it lightly and murmuring, "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Joanne inquired, turning to face her.

"For hurting you. I didn't realize what you were going through while I was throwing a queen-sized fit. But I promise to make it up to you. I'll give you hugs and kisses, and trips to the moon, and puppy dogs, and pirate ships, and—"

"What would I do with a pirate ship?"

"Well I've always wanted one…" Maureen groaned. "Ugh! I'm even selfish with my apologies!"

Joanne laughed loudly, kissing her girlfriend affectionately. "Apology accepted. And I'll be expecting that trip to the moon in the near future, but for now I'd just like some breakfast." The two giggled together for a while longer before finally managing to slip out the door.

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"Angel, you've got to eat something."

Mimi and Angel sat alone at a table in the back of the cafeteria, utterly unaware of what was happening in the MoJo dorm above them. Mimi watched as her best friend poked at the food on his plate. Angel was so depressed about all that had happened with Collins he didn't even have the willpower to dress up for the day. Instead, Angel wore a black tank and loose guy-jeans. The lack of makeup mixed with lack of sleep made the Latino look pale and sick.

"Ang, maybe you would feel better if you cleaned up a bit…"

"No, Mimi," Angel deadpanned, "I don't feel like dressing up." Mimi sighed, but nodded instead of causing disagreement. Just as she was about to look back down at her food, a streak of brown hair came hurdling toward her. Maureen grabbed her neck, nearly knocking Mimi to the floor.

"Hold on, Chica," Mimi laughed, pulling Maureen down with her. "What's up with you? You haven't been this happy since…"

Maureen grinned. "Thanks for putting up with me for so long. I know I'm not always easy to handle. But you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"Of course we do," Mimi replied, "If you aren't staying with us, then where will you be staying?"

"With me," Joanne answered, grabbing her girlfriend's waist. "She'll be staying back in our room, where she belongs."

"So you two…" Mimi looked back and forth between the two, piecing the scenario together. Shocked immediately filed her expression. "Oh, my God! So that's where you were last night! And you two…and no more Marguerite…and…and…"

"Stop stuttering," Maureen laughed, settling in next the Latina as Joanne sat across next to Angel. Maureen face grew serious as she watched Angel. "Ang? Are you okay? You're not…yourself."

Angel looked up, as if seeing the couple for the first time. "Um, yes, I'm fine. I'm glad you two are finally together. You deserve each other."

"I'm not buying that bullshit," Maureen said, placing a finger under Angel's chin and tilting his head upward. "What's going on?"

Mimi grabbed Maureen's arm. "Angel doesn't want to talk right now."

"Why not? We're all friends."

"It's complicated," Angel replied before grabbing his plate and standing up. Before the three could look back, Angel was gone.

"What's wrong, Meems?" Joanne asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.

Mimi scowled. "Ask your brother." With that, she got up and followed Angel out of the cafeteria.

Joanne's brows furrowed in confusion. "What does Collins have anything to do with…oh, no."

"What, Joey?"

"I think Collins may have a lot to do with Angel's weird behavior. Go comfort Ang. I'm gonna go talk to my brother." Maureen nodded, utterly confused, and kissed Joanne on the cheek in a quick goodbye. Quickly, Joanne left the building in search of Collins.

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"Yeah, guys, that would be great," Collins spoke through his office phone. "I can get permission to have it at my house for Halloween." He paused to listen. "It would be one night. I don't see the big deal. And besides, I haven't seen you boys since the summer. It's been too long."

_Knock knock._

Joanne's head peaked through his door. Collins gestured for her to come in. "Look, guys, I gotta go. I got company. We'll get in touch later once I have more news. Don't get in too much trouble between now and then. Bye."

Joanne took a seat in the chair across from her brother, shoulders tight and posture tense. Collins was immediately uneasy. "What's up, Jo?"

"You remember that talk we had a while back about Angel kissing you as a dare? Remember how I told you to act on the feelings because I thought she might reciprocate?"

"Yea…" Collins meekly replied.

"Did you ever talk to her about those feelings? Or did you just let her like you until she gave up? Because Angel is back in her dorm right now, moping beyond what I thought possible and Mimi seems to think it's all because of you. Do you have some sort of explanation?"

"She's moping?" Collins asked, his heart breaking.

Joanne nodded. "She didn't even bother with drag this morning. What happened, Collins? Why didn't you act on it?"

"I did." Collins sighed, pulling his beanie off his head to occupy his hands. "A while ago. I meant to tell you, but I felt that as your friend, that was Angel's place. We had a fight over something stupid. I had no idea how upset she would get."

"You're _together_?!" Joanne exclaimed. "And you didn't tell me? As my brother, that is absolutely you're place! I'm happy for the both you. You should've known I would be. Now, what did you say to make her so upset?"

Collins fidgeted in a mixture of anxiety and relief. "I might've insinuated that she was nothing more than my student…but she isn't. She's a lot more than that. She's everything I've never had. I didn't mean to upset her, I was just angry because of the circumstance. I can't lose her, Jo. She's made me the happiest I've been since…"

"I know," Joanne shushed him. "What are you going to do to make things better?"

"Well…" Collins' face split into a grin. "I have some friends coming into town…friends that I believe were friends with Angel back at the boys' school. They're coming in for a Halloween bash next week. Of course, you and the rest are invited. Maybe I can make it up to Ang then. Do you think she can hold out that long?"

"What friends are these?" Joanne inquired curiously.

Collins' grin widened to his ears. "Roger and Mark."

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**A/N: Hope the wait was worth it! Read and Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Pookie! The Halloween party is tomorrow night! We need a great costume. Joanne, are you even listening to me?"

Joanne looked up from her book. "What?"

Maureen huffed, annoyed. "The Halloween party. We still need a costume."

"Uh-huh," Joanne replied absently. "You figure that out."

"I need your input! Otherwise you will just have to wear what I put in front of you," Maureen said, still trying to get her girlfriend's attention.

"Whatever you say, babe," Joanne answered, completely engrossed in her book.

Maureen grinned. "Ok then. I'll pick our costumes. All you have to do is wear it." With that, she ran out of the room to talk to Angel and Mimi.

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A few hours later, Joanne was just waking up from a rather long nap. She had fallen asleep while reading, shortly after Maureen had gone to find Mimi and Angel. Just as she opened her eyes, she could hear her girlfriend giggling across the room. Vision still blurry with sleep, Joanne sat up, calling out, "Maureen?"

"Pookie! You're awake!" Maureen squealed, jumping onto the bed and tackling Joanne with a kiss.

Joanne chuckled. "Hello to you, too."

"So," Maureen began, pulling the darker girl into a standing position. "You know how you told me I could pick out our costumes for tomorrow night?"

"Yes…" Joanne replied cautiously, catching the mischievous gleam in Maureen's eyes.

"Well," The drama queen continued, a grin splitting across her face, "I decided to get Angel and Mimi in on it and have matching costumes as a group!"

"But I thought only we were going to have matching costumes, not the whole group," Joanne said, slightly disappointed. She had been excited to share this night with Maureen from the moment she had heard about it.

"Oh, baby, we'll have plenty of time to have matching costumes in the future. But both Mimi and Angel are single, and Angel is having a really hard time right now. You know that. Plus, I think I have a plan to get her and Collins back together."

"Really? How?"

"It's all in the costumes, Babe. Will you just trust me, and go with the plan? Please?" Maureen pouted lightly. Joanne smiled, nodding and patting the bed to beckon her girlfriend. Maureen happily bounced back over, receiving a kiss on the neck.

"Hmm…" Joanne sighed into Maureen's shoulder. "You said we would have matching costumes in the future. Does that mean you can imagine yourself still with me come next Halloween?"

"Absolutely," Maureen answered, wrapping her arms around Joanne and kissing her temple. "I can totally see us together in a year."

"What about in ten years?" Joanne asked.

Maureen's grip loosened. "…I don't know, Jo. I like you, and I like being with you, but in ten years who knows how much we both will have changed. I mean, maybe we'll change so much that we won't be compatible anymore. Maybe this is only a high school fling. Maybe you'll want to settle down when I may never want to. Maybe—"

"Mo," Joanne interrupted, placing a hand across the babbling brunette's mouth, "Are you happy now?"

Maureen nodded quickly, eyes wide. "Of course I am, Pookie."

"Then that's all that matters," Joanne replied, sealing her statement with a kiss. Before she could pull away, Maureen wrapped a hand behind her head, deepening the kiss. Darting her tongue into the other girl's mouth, Maureen slowly pushed Joanne down on the bed and straddled her waist. Joanne smiled into the kiss, allowing Maureen complete control. Just as the make out session began to heat up, the door burst open, and Angel and Mimi tore into the room.

"Oh," Mimi said, stopping suddenly, "Sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Yes," Maureen replied.

Joanne slapped her, and pushed the other girl out of her lap. "What do you need?"

Angel held up a wardrobe bag, her grin widening. "We have our costumes!"

Maureen squealed, jumping off the bed. "Where did you get these?!"

Angel giggled. "I know a friend who knows a friend who has some friends who dressed up as the Spice Girls two Halloweens ago. Believe me, it always helps to have a drag queen as a best friend."

"Wait," Joanne sputtered, "_The Spice Girls?!_ There is no way in hell I'm dressing up as a damn—"

"You have to!" Maureen exclaimed. "It's okay if we're missing one Spice Girl. None of us could pull off Ginger Spice anyway. But it would just be ridiculous if we were missing two Spice Girls! And besides," she said, lowering her voice, "Look how excited Angel is. She hasn't been this happy since the stuff with her and Collins. Do it for her. She needs this. Please??"

"Okay, okay," Joanne sighed, muttering quietly to herself. "But I better be Scary Spice."

"Of course, dear." The drama queen replied. "And believe me, I'll definitely repay you later…"

Joanne grinned. "Maybe we can get them to leave, and you can repay me now…"

Maureen nodded, turning to their friends. "We love you guys, and appreciate the costumes, but can we try them on later?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Mimi said, chuckling at the two. "We'll leave you two to get your freak on. Come on, Ang."

"No sex!" Angel exclaimed, her giggles still audible after the door was closed.

"What would we do without those two?" Maureen sighed, running her fingers through her girlfriend's hair.

"We would _not _be the Spice Girls," Joanne muttered, allowing the brunette to take over.

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_Ding dong._

The four girls stood outside Collins' door as they waited for someone to open it. The only one who had known where to find his house was Joanne. Not even Angel had seen him off campus before tonight. They could hear a loud crash from inside and loud laughter before the door finally opened to reveal a tall boy with shaggy golden hair.

"Hi, I'm Roger," The boy said, opening the door to allow the girls in. He was wearing a shiny purple shirt and tight black pants, with a matching band wrapped around his head. "I'm a rock star," he grinned.

"ROGER!!" Angel exclaimed, jumping into his arms. "I missed you!"

"Hey, Ang!" Roger laughed, hugging her tight. "Who are the rest of these lovely ladies you've brought?"

The girls introduced themselves one by one. "We're the Spice Girls!" Maureen squealed. "I'm baby spice."

"I'm sporty spice," Mimi said.

Angel giggled. "I'm Posh Spice."

"And I'm Scary Spice…" Joanne muttered, scuffing the ground and refusing to look up. Maureen, noticing this, wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and whispered something in her ear. Immediately Joanne perked up immensely, a grin splitting across her face.

"Do I want to know what you just said to her?" Mimi asked.

"Definitely not," Maureen replied, plopping onto the couch. "Hey, where is everyone else?"

"They're around here somewhere…" Roger answered. "MARK!" he screamed, causing the girls to jump.

Shortly after, all of them heard a door slam and an unfamiliar voice say, "You look fine! Just fix your shorts!" A blonde boy came bouncing around the corner. He was wearing a plain white tee-shirt with a tie and a beret atop his head. Around his neck was an ancient video camera. "Hi, I'm Mark," the boy finally said, blushing slightly as he looked around at all of the girls. "I'm a film director."

"And a cute one at that," Angel chuckled, pulling her old friend down next to her on the love seat. "Do you still carry that old camera around?"

"Everywhere," Mark agreed.

"Now all we're missing is Collins…" Mimi observed, looking around from her spot on the couch.

"I'm right here," A muffled voice said from further down the hall. "Urgh, these damn shorts…"

Angel slumped significantly at the sound of the dean's voice. Mark rubbed her back soothingly, having been told the entire situation.

Finally Collins appeared from a door toward the back of the room. He was wearing a soccer uniform, complete with shin guards and a soccer ball. Written across his shirt was _David Beckham_. Eyes automatically locking with Angel, he made his way over to her. Kneeling in front of Posh Spice, he looked up and said, "I know I've made plenty of mistakes, Ang, and I'll make plenty more, but none will be as big as this one. You mean more to me than anything in this world. I'd give up everything just to be with you. Will you be the Victoria Beckham to my David?"

Angel smiled, pulling her lover onto his feet. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"I think I might have a clue…" he replied, pulling the drag queen into a deep kiss. Then he swung her into his arms. "Come along, Posh. We've got some catching up to do. The rest of you can mingle and get to know each other. Maureen, be good!"

"Why do you always single me out?!" Maureen huffed, leaning into Joanne. The just laughed as the newly reunited couple made its way upstairs for some privacy.

"What now?" Mimi asked, looking around.

Roger turned on some music and held out his hand. "Care to dance?" Mimi happily obliged, quickly followed by the rest of the group. It was the beginning of a new and glorious friendship.

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**Sorry for the Hiatus folks! Don't worry, this story isn't over! Read and Review!**


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